Aerial footage shows the devastation caused when a runaway cargo ship crashed into a control tower.

At least seven people are thought to have died after the ship, the Jolly Nero, crashed in Genoa, Italy, on Tuesday.

The view from above shows the tower, which once stood at 50ft tall, completely destroyed and half submerged in the water.

Rescue and emergency crews at the scene of the accident

The accident happened around 23:00 on Tuesday night, when a shift change was taking place inside the control tower, meaning there were more people inside than usual. The ship's owner, Stefano Messina, arrived at the port soon after the crash.